My wife wants a nice looking garden fence to keep the deer out. The
fence companies sell upscale ones (all clear cedar), but they're really
expensive (8'X6' high panel = $500) Here's a sample of the style:
http://www.walpolewoodworkers.com/im...cSelect1_D.jpg

The fabrication just doesn't look that complicated, but 200' of fence
is a lot of work for me. But if I did make the panels, I would probably
just buy the posts ready to go.

1) Would you guys just make the panels yourself?
2) Would you make the panels out of cedar, or mix in some other stuff
for the above grade detail (#1 pine, or something else) ?
3) Where would you buy that quantity of lumber?

Thanks!

On Sun, 27 Mar 2005 07:11:19 -0700, wrote
(in article .com):

My wife wants a nice looking garden fence to keep the deer out. The
fence companies sell upscale ones (all clear cedar), but they're really
expensive (8'X6' high panel = $500) Here's a sample of the style:
http://www.walpolewoodworkers.com/im...cSelect1_D.jpg

The fabrication just doesn't look that complicated, but 200' of fence
is a lot of work for me. But if I did make the panels, I would probably
just buy the posts ready to go.

1) Would you guys just make the panels yourself?
2) Would you make the panels out of cedar, or mix in some other stuff
for the above grade detail (#1 pine, or something else) ?
3) Where would you buy that quantity of lumber?

Thanks!


Ugh! Just thinking of painting that makes my arm spasm 8^)

I think for 200' fabrication would justify making jigs to align all the
slats, etc.
If you are not set on using wood, have you looked at synthetics? (i.e.
plastic). Companies make a wide range of styles and quality plus you should
be able to forgo the maintenance ;^)

If you use wood, cedar _might_ cause splitting problems for such narrow
slats, it really depends on your climate.

-Bruce

On 27 Mar 2005 06:11:19 -0800, wrote:

My wife wants a nice looking garden fence to keep the deer out. The
fence companies sell upscale ones (all clear cedar), but they're really
expensive (8'X6' high panel = $500) Here's a sample of the style:
http://www.walpolewoodworkers.com/im...cSelect1_D.jpg

The fabrication just doesn't look that complicated, but 200' of fence
is a lot of work for me. But if I did make the panels, I would probably
just buy the posts ready to go.

1) Would you guys just make the panels yourself?

Not me.

2) Would you make the panels out of cedar, or mix in some other stuff

Probably not.

for the above grade detail (#1 pine, or something else) ?
3) Where would you buy that quantity of lumber?

Check around.

Thanks!

Deer can jump a fence up to 10 feet.

If the main purpose is to keep the deer out (we had this problem with
deer along with groundhogs), then make it easy on yourself. I
installed a fence around the vegetable garden 12 years ago and it is
still working great. Used steel 5' T posts spaced 6 feet apart and
attached chicken wire to the posts. The bottom was stapled to the
ground using cedar logs. Then three insulators were attached to the
posts and the fence electrified with a solar-powered fence charger
with battery ($100). The fence still works today. I take the charger
in after the harvest and mount it back on a (wooden) post in spring.
I used a 6' rebar for the ground. One year I saw a squirrel do a back
flip after touching the fence. Another time a dog touched the fence
then yelped and ran. Oh yeah, you will touch the fence only one time
and from then on you'll remember to turn it off before entering the
garden.

Phisherman wrote:


Deer can jump a fence up to 10 feet.

If the main purpose is to keep the deer out (we had this problem with
deer along with groundhogs), then make it easy on yourself.

snip

Used steel 5' T posts spaced 6 feet apart and
attached chicken wire to the posts. The bottom was stapled to the
ground using cedar logs. Then three insulators were attached to the
posts and the fence electrified with a solar-powered fence charger
with battery ($100).


Ah yes, the old fence charger trick.

There is nothing in this world that will grab your attention quicker
than a single strand of bailing wire, stretched about knee high on
insulators across a field that you just know is connected to a fence
charger sitting on a shelf some where.

You only need to touch it once to learn that lesson.

DAMHIKT.

Still remember the neighbor's young bull who had been put out in a
temporary pasture surrounded by an electrified fence who was being
bothered by the flies when they started biting on a hot summer afternoon.

Suddenly, 1100 pounds of romping stomping bull had had enough and took
off for the barn.

That electrified fence didn't even make him blink as he broke thru at
full speed.

After that, I had a hell of a lot of respect for that bull.

Lew

Lew Hodgett wrote:

There is nothing in this world that will grab your attention quicker
than a single strand of bailing wire, stretched about knee high on
insulators across a field that you just know is connected to a fence
charger sitting on a shelf some where.

You only need to touch it once to learn that lesson.

All'n us oakie kids always take the city slickers out and have em pee
on the wire oncit.....

nothing, NOTHING compares to this

I thought this myth was dispelled on an episode of Myth Busters.

Chuck

tom wrote
My wife wants a nice looking garden fence to keep the deer out. The
fence companies sell upscale ones (all clear cedar), but they're really
expensive (8'X6' high panel = $500) Here's a sample of the style:
http://www.walpolewoodworkers.com/im...cSelect1_D.jpg

The fabrication just doesn't look that complicated, but 200' of fence
is a lot of work for me. But if I did make the panels, I would probably
just buy the posts ready to go.

1) Would you guys just make the panels yourself?
2) Would you make the panels out of cedar, or mix in some other stuff
for the above grade detail (#1 pine, or something else) ?
3) Where would you buy that quantity of lumber?

If the deer can't see through the fence they will be deterred from jumping
over it.
Consider the 6' high estate PVC fence at Home Depot, for about $50 for a 6'
wide panel and about $30 for each 5"x5" post.
Its a slatted panel with about 1/4" space between the slats, and pretty much
maintenance free.
We bought about 200 feet for about $3500 delivered and hired a private sub
contractor to install it for $1400, took about 1 week to get the whole thing
done.
All of the posts were embedded in 60 lb bags of Sacrete and had 4"x4" PT
wood posts inside, and we had a 3' wide gate and a 5' wide gate. The gate
posts and corner posts were filled with concrete and a vertical 1/2" steel
reinforcing rod.

Bi-yearly maintenance includes a 5 gal. bucket of hot water and Tide, a
broom and a water hose and about 2 hours of time.
(birds tend to dump on the finials and top rail)

1) Would you guys just make the panels yourself?
yes I would . Get the dimensions,figure out the material needed to make
similair panel,plan out how you would fabricate it.
The satisfaction of doing it yourself and money saved (which you can than
spend on the new "tool"you have wanted) is well worth it.

2) Would you make the panels out of cedar, or mix in some other stuff for
the above grade detail (#1 pine, or something else) ?
Are you going to paint it? Than do not waste the money on #1/clear
material since knots will not be visable. Make a few calls to see what cedar
costs are in your area. Have you thought about using cypress ?
It will paint well and last for many years.
For the posts depending on what you are willing to spend. I have found that
cedar doesn't last that well in my area of WesternMass.but pressure treated
have out lasted the cedar post that were installed at about the same time.
You could also use hemlock as the post,treat the below grade ends with
paint or tar them if you are going to install in concrete.Another option is
put concrete footings with metal brackets for the posts to be bolted
to.Since this is going to be in the garden some plants around the post will
hide the metal brackets.
3) Where would you buy that quantity of lumber?
Cowls Lumber Amherst,Ma. Kicza Lumber Hadley,Ma. for the hemlock
posts (they will also custom size them if you so desire)
Forest Products Assoc. Greenfield,Ma. for the cypress.

Is your deer problem so bad you must get the entire fence done at once?
If it isn't I would built a section this year of wood and put in an electirc
fence for the rest.Than finish it off next year.You can always sell the
electic fence material pretty easily.

Take the time to decide if it is a project you want to do and have the
time to do it.If you have youngsters have them help you out. It will be a
project that they will remember for years to come having built a fence with
Dad.

Have fun